In his article, Standing Out, Seth Godin discussed what it takes for great leaders to truly stand out from the crowd. By way of introduction, he speaks about the origin of sliced bread. The fact, he notes, is “That for the first 15 years after sliced bread was available, no one bought it; no one knew about it; it was a complete and total failure.“ It was Wonder Bread who broke the code about spreading the idea and appeal of sliced bread. Godin’s message is crisp and pointed: “I think that the way you’re going to get what you want, or cause the change that you want to change, to happen, is that you’ve got to figure out a way to get your ideas to spread.”
Great leaders learned well the lesson of sliced bread, applying it not only to ideas, but to their business, professional and personal lives, and their own self-branding. Just spreading an idea is not enough. Great leaders offer what is different, what is remarkable, and what is magical. This is what people look for, what people want. They don’t want sameness. Like Wonder Bread, great leaders unfold the possibilities of what can be. They build or find their own ‘tribe’ of passionate and committed followers who embrace their idea and joyously spread the word and create appeal for it.
James Matthew Barrie, Scottish dramatist and novelist best known as the creator of Peter Pan, wrote: “As soon as you can say what you think, and not what some other person has thought for you, you are on your way to being a remarkable man.” Stand out! Be remarkable in all that you do. Set fire to the imaginations of the people around you. Open their minds to the infinite possibilities around them and within them. Help them to be remarkable… to be more than they ever dreamed that they could be.
Have a beautiful day and a magnificent week!!!
Thank you for this inspiring article, Mike, and the education that accompanies it!
The message printed here is perfect and succinct.
I am in the process of publishing a book and these articles speak to me.
Well done!